The invention is based on a transporting device.
Transporting systems in which the transporting bodies (so-called movers) are mounted in an electromagnetic field in an almost friction-free manner are known. The electromagnetic forces that can be regulated are used both to drive the transporting bodies as well as for an electromagnetic linear bearing arrangement or levitation over a flat, electrically excited transporting surface (also described as an X-Y stator). A system of this type is described in WO 2013/059934 A1.
EP 2441307 B1 already discloses a device and a method for transporting products by means of grippers. The device comprises a linear motor having conveyed items that are guided in a displaceable manner on a guiding arrangement with a gripping arm so as to intermittently receive products, wherein the guiding arrangement is embodied as a linear guiding section. The conveyed items can be displaced forwards and backwards so as to receive and deposit products on the guiding section, wherein in the case of products that are supplied in the conveying direction of the feeder belt one behind the other in a line, the feeder belt, the discharging belt and the guiding section are arranged adjacent to one another in a parallel manner at least in a lateral overlapping region. In the case of products that are supplied in rows adjacent to one another using the conveying power of the feeder belt, the feeder belt is arranged perpendicular to the discharging belt and the discharging belt and the guiding section are arranged parallel to one another and are arranged with the feeder belt adjacent to one another at least in a lateral overlapping region.
A device in accordance with the generic type or a method in accordance with the generic type for grouping articles or containers is also disclosed in DE 102011085724 A1.
The object of the invention is to further increase the flexibility of the device.
The method in accordance with the invention in contrast comprises the advantage that the flexibility is further increased. This occurs in accordance with the invention by virtue of the fact that the mover receives and/or deposits at least one product by means of a movement of the mover with at least one vertical component. In particular during a movement of the mover with at least one vertical component, the products that in general are supplied in a horizontal manner can be raised in an upwards direction from a transporting system and/or can be deposited onto the transporting system or in a container that is moved by the transporting system, whether the transporting system is at a standstill or moving. The preferably vertically arranged drive surface thereby does not influence the transporting path of the transporting system. This arrangement in particular renders it possible for the mover to also receive in the desired manner products that are supplied in an unorganized manner and to group said products in a flexible manner. In addition, it is possible to adjust the format almost at the push of a button so that it is possible to provide individually tailored packing steps or processing steps for each product. It is possible by means of using a so-called planar drive to predetermine the receiving and depositing paths of the mover that is conveying the product. It is possible to perform an individual adjustment for product flows or containers by means of a mover that can be controlled individually. It is also possible for the product to be handled only once along different processing steps so that further interfaces relating to product handling can be omitted. The described concept contributes to mechanical standardization since the same transporting system can be used for different processing steps. System components that have been used previously can be omitted, which contributes to the reduction in expenditure. The transporting system is no longer dependent upon individual guiding arrangements or similar. The speed of the mover can also be individually controlled and thus adjusted to desired movement paths of the further transporting systems. As a consequence, it is also possible to optimize the speed of the transport. In addition, it is possible owing to the flexibility of the mover similarly to use different transporting types such as by way of example continuous or intermittent transporting movements. In the case of an arrangement of the transporting system in line with the feeder belt or discharging belt/container transport, it is possible to continuously receive or discharge the product in the flow.
In addition, the transporting device that is used is characterized by means of a hygienic construction in which in an expedient further development it is possible to revert back to a vertical drive surface that features a design that is open in a downwards direction. As a consequence, it is easier to clean this arrangement. In addition, it is possible to achieve a gap-free embodiment of the drive surface which additionally facilitates cleaning.
In an expedient embodiment, it is provided that the mover receives at least one product from a container and/or deposits said product in a container. As a consequence, further processing steps are performed in a flexible manner, namely loading and unloading a container.
In an expedient further development, it is provided that the mover deposits at least one product on the transporting system and/or receives at least one product from the transporting system. It is possible in a particularly simple manner for products that are supplied in an unorganized manner to be transported in specific groups and/or rows and thus to be organized.
In an expedient further development, it is provided that the mover moves at a similar speed and/or at a different speed to that of the product so as to receive the product. As a consequence, it is possible to achieve a particularly careful handling of the product since damaging impacts or similar can be avoided. The same is also achieved by virtue of the fact that the mover moves at a similar speed and/or different speed to that of the container or the transporting system so as to deposit the product. It is thereby possible to synchronize the mover with the transporting system in the case of different transporting types such as intermittent or continuous. It is therefore possible to handle the product in a similar manner whether the transporting system is operating continuously or is at a standstill.
In an expedient further development, multiple movers are provided that receive multiple products from the supplying system and in each case are brought into a specific position for grouping purposes and in said grouping position the products are in each case in a defined position with respect to one another. It is thereby possible for the mover in a desired manner to group the products, by way of example in rows or columns one behind the other or similar arrangements.
In an expedient further development, it is provided that multiple movers in each case deposit at least one product in the container, preferably simultaneously. As a consequence, the output of the system is increased. It is possible by means of depositing an entire layer to prevent individual products in the container or on the band being displaced.
In an expedient further development, it is provided that the mover grips the product and alters the orientation of said product. The mover can thereby arrange the products in a desired manner, by way of example in rows and/or in specific groups on the same transporting system that also supplies the products. Products that are supplied in an unorganized manner are thereby organized in a simple manner. As a consequence, it is possible to transfer organized products accurately to further transporting systems in the desired manner with specific consideration paid to the subsequent processing steps.
In an expedient further development, it is provided that the mover comprises at least one handling device for receiving at least one product. A corresponding handling device can be aligned to the respective form of the product so as to handle or grip the product in a particularly careful manner. For this purpose, it is particularly expedient that the handling device comprises at least one gripper and/or at least one opening that is suitable for applying a negative pressure, preferably a vacuum, to the product. This ensures the safe transport of a product.
In an expedient further development, at least two movers are provided that cooperate so as to receive at least one product. As a result of two movers cooperating for the handling of one product, it is possible to omit a specific format adjustment since it is necessary merely to change the relative spacing of the movers with respect to one another in the case of different product sizes.
In an expedient further development, it is provided that the drive surface is arranged above the plane of the transporting system, in particular in a transverse manner with respect to the transporting direction of the transporting system. As a result, the drive surface does not block the further transporting system.
In an expedient further development, multiple transporting systems are provided that are arranged preferably one above the other. Owing to the possibility of moving the mover with at least one vertical component, it is possible to supply products depending upon the subsequent working steps of different transporting systems. As a consequence, the flexibility of the arrangement is increased.
In an expedient further development, at least one product identification device or sensor is provided in the region of the transporting system, preferably outside the drive surface. As a consequence, it is possible in a particularly simple manner to identify the position of the products that are to be moved. This is advantageous particularly in the case of products that are supplied in an unorganized manner. In addition, it is also possible to use the position identification device for other purposes such as by way of example controlling the quality of the products and said device would consequently already be present.
Furthermore, it is feasible that the transporting system is not only embodied from a planar drive surface in the form of a plane or plate, but rather by way of example from a prism having an oval base surface on whose peripheral surfaces the movers travel in a concentric manner. This facilitates the return of the mover to the receiving/output position. It is feasible that by way of example the front side is used to receive the product while the products are output on the rear side. The flexibility is clearly increased by means of choosing a planar drive.
In one expedient further development, it is provided that the mover travels to a specific position in dependence upon the product identification device or the sensor, in order to move the product that is identified or sensed. In connection by way of example with the speed of the transporting system, a controller determines the position the mover is to travel to so that the product can thereby be reliably moved into the desired position. The operational reliability and accuracy of the device are thereby increased.
In one expedient further development, it is provided that at least one mover receives and/or deposits at least two products. As a consequence, the output speed of the entire system can be increased by means of receiving and/or depositing the products in multiple rows.
Further expedient developments are evident in the further dependent claims and the description.